This study has reviewed toolkits in the area of future foresight for policymaking to clarify the basic methodology and identify areas of contribution of design approaches. The study included case studies of eight toolkits utilized in the public sector around the world. The results show that the methodology of future insights for policy can be organized in four steps: 1) understanding the context, 2) exploring the future, 3) visualizing the future, and 4) applying the methodology to policy. We also found that some design methodologies, such as speculative design, were employed in the toolkit. On this basis, this study shows that there are three areas where design approach can contribute to future insights for policy: 1) thinking from the perspective of future generations, 2) thinking in terms of transitions from the past to the future, and 3) thinking about the future as an system.

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The purpose of this paper is to clarify the characteristics of the “Fukushima Co- creation Project”implemented by the Japan Patent Office(JPO)in FY2023, as well as the characteristics of concrete policy(project)formulation using design thinking through detailed description of the project and interviews with participants. Interest in the use of design thinking by government organizations, which began in Europe, is spreading to Japan as well. Symbolic examples include the activities of “JAPAN+D”led by bureaucrats from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). In Japan, examples include Fukui Prefecture’s collaboration with design experts in “Open Innovation for Policy,” Shiga Prefecture’s persona creation in a working group on the theme of “Post COVID-19 ,” and Nagaoka City’s design thinking training for civil servants. Although the use of design thinking in government organizations is spreading in this way, it is mainly practiced for the purpose of examining new policy issues, improving effectiveness and efficiency in implementing policies, or as training, and there are not many practices aimed at planning new policies and projects. Through a detailed description of the project conducted by the JPO staff themselves with the support of external organizations, and through interviews with the partic- ipating staff and supporting external organizations, we describe the characteristics and future prospects of using design thinking for the purpose of government project planning.

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So-called “art-based research” and “research through design” are flourishing in several fields. Most of this kind of research in Japan is conducted in social science departments, and there are few reports about it being conducted in art universities, although it might be different in cases where it is conducted in art universities because the preference and skills are different between art students and social science students. Therefore, in this paper, we report on graduation works based on art-based research in a seminar at an art university. The results show that (1) art students tend to use a familiar expression method and theme for the research; (2) sometimes students prefer self-expression to research, and they try to exhibit as an art exhibition even though what they learn in the research process is more important, etc.

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This paper explores the development of community art activities and the interaction be- tween “place” and “atmosphere” in the Nezu area of Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo. Nezu has experienced the decline of its shopping districts due to urbanization, aging population, and a lack of transportation infrastructure, and it is gradually losing the traditional char- acteristics of a “downtown” area. To promote fair and authentic co-creation in local art activities, this study utilizes ethnographic research methods such as participant observa- tion, interviews, photographic documentation, and note-taking. Through the lens of the interdiffusion of place and “atmosphere,” the study explores the potential of local art activities to enhance residents’ perception of local narratives.The study aims to promote place expression led by local residents and to extract the unique atmosphere of the area.The theoretical background of the study incorporates phenomenol- ogy of perception, sense of place, and aspects of everyday life and folklore, emphasizing the need to respect the community’s “narrative.” It illustrates the process of reevaluating the region’s uniqueness through the artistic expressions born from the residents’ everyday narratives and perceptions.Specifically, the practice of extracting the “atmosphere” of the place through the narratives and engagements of local residents and elevating it into art projects is being undertaken.This process is shown to facilitate communication between new and original residents, and to form the cultural memory of the community.Overall, the paper proposes that by narrating their daily lives and history, local residents build a deep connection with the “atmosphere” of the place, exploring the possibilities of regional art. This is expected to generate unique aesthetic experiences and give birth to a new vernacular of the region.

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It has been observed that professionals tend to find abstract and complex art- works more attractive than the those who have not received any art education. The latter individuals are said to have difficulties in understanding and enjoying these artworks. This paper presents a novel approach to the cognitive and psy- chological aspects of art appreciation. The paper psychologically characterizes the relationship between the processing fluency theory of aesthetic pleasure and art works, analyses the differences in the experience of viewing figurative and abstract paintings, examines the influence of non-professionals’ stereotypes of art on their appreciation and creation, and integrates previous research findings. This paper aims to assist non-professionals in reducing non-professionals stereo- types and distance from abstract art, as well as in understanding and appre- ciating abstract art more deeply through the representation and contemplative experiential viewing approaches.

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The purpose of this study is to clarify usefulness of design approach for local govern- ment officials and barriers to its implementation, based on a case of applying the design approach to policymaking process in a specific local government. The authors accompa- nied the policymaking activity in which the design approach was applied and analysed the results based on our observation of the process and post-completion interviews. Consequently, five usefulness were confirmed: “Increased spontaneity through fun”, “Acquisition of citizen perspective and understanding of feelings”, “Learning about policy themes and reflection on daily work”, “Feedback from various stakeholders” and “Gaining confidence and persuasiveness in policy making”. On the other hand, seven barriers to implementation were identified: “Lack of time, staff, and digital tools”, “Lack of staff design experience and skills”, “Administrative organization structure”, “Environment less challenging”, “Thinking style that gets to the right answer quickly”, “Difficulty in explaining the design process within a government office” and “Problems of external facilitators”. While there might be utility in applying the design approach, barriers to implementation and the current policy-making process might make it difficult to apply the design approach, especially in local governments with small populations.

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The advancement of society has resulted in a cultural and geographical homo- geneity known as “placelessness.” The formation of a place is inseparable from individual experience, so it is important to discuss placeness while considering how a place is perceived by individuals. To further explores how people ex- press and represent their subjective image of a place, this paper focuses on the photography of a self-produced magazine “Kijin Denshin”, the outcome of a University-Industry collaborative program in Miyazaki, to suggests a possible kind of photographs, which are widely seen in collaborative program. By re- viewing several classic publications on photography and the photographs used in image-based-method, the paper seeks to explore the potential of the photographs existed in collaborative program as a kind of useful image data for us to under- stand how the people involved in such program view a place. The paper suggests that the photographs of “Kijin Denshin” cannot be categorized as a single type of photography, because the photographs have shown qualities of ordinary snap- shot, research data, travel photos, photojournalism. Under the current state of increasing number of regional revitalization programs, we believe that there are many similar photographs existed in different programs, and by further explore such photography it is possible for us to understand the relationship between people and places in such programs and provide possible insights for the future goal of diverse local communities.

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